How to Use Ecommerce Product Videos to Engage and Convert (+ Examples)

July 15, 2023

6216b74fdd1b6a9ff9bce4ae How to Use Ecommerce Product Videos to Engage and Convert ecommerce product videos

In today’s digital world, there’s nothing like video when creating content that works for your business. Consumers are increasingly looking for rich, engaging content to provide both information and entertainment.

According to Hubspot, 91% of marketers believe the recent pandemic has made video more important in digital marketing.

Ecommerce professionals can use ecommerce product videos content in a number of ways, from product pages and social media acquisition to email newsletters and online ads.

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Why use video marketing in your ecommerce store

You’ve nailed the product title. Your product description is keyword-rich and search engine optimized (SEO). Your images are professionally shot, well-lit, and display your products beautifully. The alt-text is thoughtfully written.

With all this, no one would blame you for calling it a day and considering your product listing complete.

But video content can make all the difference in creating eye-catching experiences that draw customers to your store and boost conversions.

One of the first things you should do when optimizing your listings is insert video into your product pages or your online store.

Below are a few ways video comes out on top in ecommerce marketing.

Video is accessible

illustration of product video with subtitles accessibility

When combined with transcripts or captions, video is highly accessible to a wide audience, allowing customers with disabilities or impairments to view product information more easily.

Video content can also reduce confusion by demonstrating how products work, showcasing features, and providing a 360-degree view of an item for potential customers.

If a product is particularly complex, technical terms or other jargon can be difficult to understand when displayed in a written format.

Video, on the other hand, can help break down some of these more confusing terms to help customers gain a better understanding of the product and its assets.

Video is engaging and shareable

A dynamic product video will beat out even the wittiest product description and can be repurposed to suit multiple platforms, from your ecommerce store to your TikTok channel.

Video is powerfully engaging because it combines sound and motion to capture attention and draw viewers in.

This, in turn, encourages them to interact by clicking and resharing videos.

According to Hubspot, adding a video to your marketing emails can boost click-through rates by more than 200%.

It’s also highly shareable both via email (“FWD: Have you seen this?”) and on social media.

Video are quick and easily digestible

You can say a lot in a 60-second video, perhaps more than if you wrote a one-page product description.

Consumers seem to agree, too, since four times as many customers would rather watch a video about your product than read a description.

This makes your product listing immediately more valuable than a competitor’s without video.

Moreover, people are busy, and at a primal level, they want to do things the easiest way possible.

When presented with a video versus a long user manual, consumers will generally choose the video, as it shows how a product works quickly and conveniently.

Video improves engagement and builds trust

For shoppers, one of the greatest disadvantages of shopping online is the inability to see and interact with a product.

While video can’t completely bridge the gap between physical and virtual shopping, it can emulate the in-store experience by providing a product demo.

Being able to view another person engaging with a product gives customers a sense of its quality and uses, rather than relying on specifications and lengthy product descriptions.

According to Animoto, 73% of U.S. adult consumers are more likely to purchase after watching a video that explains the product or service. 

Furthermore, Think with Google found that 64% of shoppers watch videos online to inform their purchases.

Video can boost your search ranking

SEO is your friend, and video just so happens to be a good friend of SEOs, too.

Including video with rich, relevant content will improve your page SEO because the video indicates your page has information that’s pertinent to search queries.

Plus, if you post videos on other platforms (YouTube, TikTok, etc.), you can create backlinks to your site, which further improve your SEO while simultaneously helping you reach new audiences.

google serp air filters video results
Certain search terms give preference to video, driving you to the top of Google search results

Video increases conversion rates

StacksandStacks.com, an online retailer of home storage and organizational products, found customers were 144% more likely to add products to their carts after watching a product video than those who did not.

According to Wyzowl 88% of consumers were convinced to buy a product or service by watching a brand’s video. 

Similarly, Zappos found their sales increased 6% to 30% when product listings included video demos.

The numbers don’t lie, across the board video has been proven to boost conversion rates.

Video can increase consumer comprehension

Wyzowl found that 94% of marketers say video has helped them increase understanding of product or service, and 96% of consumers have watched an explainer video to learn more about a product or service.

Using a video can help ensure that customer expectations have been met before they hit the buy button.

In-house vs. outsourced product videos

When it comes to creating video content, the sky’s the limit—or rather, your budget and capabilities.

You can choose to produce in-house or outsource your video creation to a service or agency that specializes in video production.

In-house video: Costs and considerations

video marketing studio image
Image: Unsplash

If you want to oversee your video creators, make videos in-house. This ensures the producers have first-hand knowledge of the products and the company.

Going this route, you’ll need to invest in equipment and training for your existing team or hire a videographer or other in-house professional to manage the work.

If you’re ready to DIY it, at minimum, you’ll need to purchase equipment to shoot video that looks professional.

This includes, but is not limited to:

  • Video camera
  • Tripod
  • Microphone
  • Backdrop
  • Three-point lighting
  • Editing software such as Final Cut Pro, Adobe Premiere, etc.

The overall cost of purchasing this equipment can range significantly, depending on the brands and quality of products you purchase.

A good ballpark would be at least a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. 

And, if you don’t have someone in-house who can manage video creation, expect to invest in recruitment and a salary for a professional.

According to Payscale.com, the average base salary for in-house videographers is about $46k USD, but this can vary based on skills, experience, and the scope of the work required.

Hiring an in-house professional to manage your video needs can be a cost-effective strategy for merchants with many products or who need lots of product videos created and often.

Outsourced video: Costs and considerations

video camera filming woman
Image: Unsplash

If you want to tap into a team of experts and don’t have time to hire and train someone in-house, outsource your video creation.

If you decide to outsource video creation, choose a company based on your goals: Do you want something more affordable, or do you want access to top experts?

You’ll need to research and meet with service providers/agencies, obtain quotes, and then choose a company to work with.

This can be a time-consuming initiative, followed by a number of steps in the video production, from the discovery to the creative brief, scriptwriting, storyboarding, rough cut, edits, and final delivery.

The overall cost per video can range from $5,000 to more than $20,000, depending on the length and scope of work.

Although it can be costly, a video production agency brings you an entire team and expertise in the field.

They’re more likely to produce high-quality videos and provide strategic direction if this is your first stab at video content.

This can also be a great option if you have fewer products and thus require fewer videos.

#cta-visual-pb#<cta-title>Make your store shine<cta-title>Amplify your store experience with product videos and stunning visuals from Shogun Page Builder.Start building for free

Types of ecommerce marketing videos

Now that we’ve reviewed the costs of in-house and outsourced production, let’s take a look at the expenses associated with different types of marketing videos.

1. Explainer videos

This type of video is short (generally around a minute) and tells the story of your brand in a compelling or entertaining way.

Although short, these videos often are not cheap: In a study conducted by Wyzowl, 70 video production agencies sent quotes for the same 60-second explainer video.

The average price was $7,972, with the low end at $700 and the high reaching $72,000.

However, explainer videos can serve as the cornerstone of your website and introduce your brand to new customers, which makes them especially valuable.

2. Product videos

tula skincare product page video in gallery
Image: TULA

Product videos are more utilitarian and even shorter than explainer videos (closer to 30 seconds).

There’s no storytelling involved here—you just show the customer your product from all angles so they can feel confident they’re making an informed decision when they click “Add to Cart.”

As such, these are relatively easy to shoot yourself with minimal equipment.

3. Social video ads

The top social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram have billions of active users, making them ideal places to advertise your online store.

Plus, video ads catch people’s attention and generate lots of interest compared to static image ads.

But unlike videos hosted on your site, you’ll need to pay for their placement.

To make that investment worthwhile and ensure your content is noticed, these videos must have top-shelf production value.

4. How-to videos

tula skincare product how-to video
Image: TULA

A how-to video is a more in-depth version of the standard product video.

Instead of just showcasing a product and specs, these videos should demonstrate how an item works. These videos help shoppers imagine themselves using the product and how it would benefit them.

This type of video is especially impactful with products that are not obviously useful at first glance.

An item that might be plain to look at could convert in droves once you get shoppers to the “aha” moment.

#cta-paragraph-pb#How-to videos have been a cornerstone of Copper Cow Coffee’s marketing strategy, helping to introduce an unfamiliar product to a new
market.

5. Product reviews

Product reviews from influencers and content creators can lend credibility to your brand, especially if the reviewer is well-respected in your category.

For example, skincare YouTubers review different beauty products on their channels.

Those videos can then be used (with permission) or sponsored to create goodwill and trust and provide social proof.

6. Expert interviews

Interviews are a great way to get your brand’s leadership, vision, and mission in front of your customers.

Add a video of an expert from your company being interviewed about why they created the product, the thought that went into it, and other highlights that shoppers can eat up.

Alternatively, you could also interview an industry expert about the need for the product and how your product solves a problem.

Video styles to explore for product marketing

Now that you know some of the common types of videos you could create for your ecommerce needs, you should also think outside the box with different or atypical video styles.

Stop-motion video

Stop-motion videos are fun, quirky, and an effective way to capture attention.

Stop-motion animation is a filmmaking technique whereby objects within a frame are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames to give the illusion of start-stop movement.

Think Gumby or Fantastic Mr. Fox.

These short, product-focused videos tell a story visually, without voice-over or sound required. 

This is perfect for social media, where as many as 85% of users don’t use audio when consuming video content.

Unboxing video

Unboxing videos have grown in popularity over the past decade, inspiring users to tune in to watch someone else open a product and experience it for the first time.

An unboxing video can be a fun and unique way to demonstrate your product to potential consumers. 

These tend to perform best on product pages or organic social media.

Testimonial or demo video

Type the words “how to” into YouTube, and you’ll be bombarded with hundreds of thousands of videos promising to teach you everything from how to set your thermostat to how to use a particular beauty tool.

Similarly, testimonial-style videos (e.g., XYZ Store Haul) are becoming popular and can be featured everywhere, from product pages to your social media platforms and digital ads.

Just as written reviews and star ratings promote your products to potential buyers, real customer testimonial videos can instill trust and inspire purchases.

6 product video examples that we’re loving

There are so many great product videos out there, but to give you an idea of what really works, we’ve put together a list of six of our favorites.

Each does its own thing really well, covering various types of product video.

Best simple product video: Patagonia Men’s PowSlayer Bibs

This video is relatively short (under two minutes) and demonstrates the product’s features in a clear, clean way.

There’s nothing flashy or distracting—just the model, the product, and easy-to-understand language in the voice-over.

This is a great utilitarian product video that perfectly matches the Patagonia brand: minimal and trustworthy.

Most colorful stop-motion video: Sephora’s Sugar Beauty

 

 
 
 
 
 
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A post shared by Sephora (@sephora)

Makeup product videos are perfectly suited to stop-motion, and Sephora makes the most of this with its Sugar Beauty stop-motion video.

Short, sweet, and colorful, this video is visually interesting to watch and also bizarrely satisfying. 

This form of video is great for social media, too, because it’s bright enough to catch the eye but short enough not to lose attention.

Most mesmerizing: OneBlade Shave

OneBlade Shave’s homepage is a visual delight.

From rich images to beautiful videos, including a mesmerizing display of the razor gliding along ribbon, the brand does a great job of drawing you in. 

Their explainer video (further down the page) is equally dynamic, marrying animation, product features, and a speaker to create a short, but well-rounded introduction to both the brand and the product.

OneBlade shows off their mesmerizing videos and image on their gorgeous store built with Shogun Frontend.

The “make you want to be them” video: Badgley Mischka

If there’s one word that’s synonymous with Badgley Mischka, it’s luxury (and don’t we all want that?).

The brand’s explainer video showcases its most recent collection with snappy music and visuals that represent the luxury the brand exudes, showcasing the fashions beautifully.

Badgley Mischka built their stunning BigCommerce site with the help of Shogun Page Builder, which saved them tons of time and money in development costs.

Best foodie video: Daring

The minute you arrive on the Daring homepage, it’s there: tantalizing plant-based chicken in lively motion to tease your tastebuds and make you wish it’s dinner time.

There’s no sound or caption, but you know exactly what you’re viewing thanks to expertly displayed branding and bright presentation.

The “all in one” video: Solo Stove Bonfire

This is a product demo, an explainer video, and a brand positioning vid all rolled into one. 

The Solo Stove Bonfire combines storytelling with product showcasing to create an enticing all-in-one video that can be used on any channel: homepage, product page, social media, and paid advertising.

Product video best practices

Before you dive into creating your video, make sure to abide by these best practices to get the most bang for your buck.

Shoot videos regularly

If you thought video production was a one-and-done occurrence, think again.

By regularly creating new videos, you can incorporate trends over time and stay top-of-mind with customers.

Be sure to highlight any new product features or improvements at the time of launch too!

Invest time in a great video

If you’re going to invest financial resources into creating videos, don’t do it halfway or rush it through.

Give yourself adequate time and plan ahead for your videos, establishing goals and measuring success.

Be consistent

Your brand is the single most critical piece of your business, and staying on-brand across all content is imperative.

Keep colors, language, music style, intros, and any additional graphics consistent with your brand in all videos.

Tip: Don’t forget to update your videos as your brand evolves.

Share and amplify

Was an influencer a part of your most recent explainer video?

Be sure to send them the final video and tag them in all your social shares to ensure they can push the content to their network.

Get the right equipment

If your video isn’t well-lit, shot with a high-resolution camera, and sound isn’t captured with a microphone, you’re missing the mark.

Use every tool in your toolbox to produce top-quality videos every time.

Consider mobile shoppers

Make sure your videos are mobile-friendly, sized appropriately, and can be consumed with or without audio to get their full effect.

If the video has a voice-over, include closed captioning as well so consumers can read along (and also to be inclusive and accessible to those who are hearing impaired).

#cta-visual-pb#<cta-title>Make your store stand out<cta-title>Take your store pages to the next level with stunning visuals from Shogun Page Builder.Start designing for free

How to incorporate product videos into your ecommerce marketing

From demos to DIYs, video marketing can introduce your brand to new users and keep current customers coming back for more.

Here are a few ideas of what kind of videos to make and when.

1. Product demos

Product demonstrations are incredibly helpful customer resources to add to your online store.

Zappos is a great example of this. Someone will introduce the product, name the key features, and then model the product or show how it’s used.

They publish these videos on their YouTube channel, as well as on their store.

There are two benefits to this: Remote hosting can drive traffic from YouTube to your store, whereas private hosting ensures your videos aren’t reliant on a third-party service like YouTube.

When shopping online, it’s hard for shoppers to visualize a product in their life. Seeing it with a real person helps them decide whether or not it’s what they’re looking for. Video marketing is very powerful here.

Remember, while including measurements is helpful, they are still abstract. Video of a product with a person helps shoppers better visualize those details.

2. Company culture

Another great use of video is to showcase your company’s culture. These videos can be published on your social media pages or your website’s About Us page.

KoMarketing does a good job of this on its Instagram profile.

The marketing agency regularly features employee events, like a field day or catered lunches, on its channel.

Here’s a video the team did showcasing fun games they held for National Donut Day.

Fiverr is another great example.

The ecommerce digital marketplace has several video series on its YouTube page, such as Obviously Fiverr and Learn From Fiverr.

It also features a pretty funny recruitment video called “Another Generic Recruitment Video,” which showcases the company’s sense of humor.

3. Behind-the-scenes

Another really interesting video type is behind-the-scenes footage.

Like this behind-the-scenes feature from clothing company Good American—it shows what it’s like to be on set during one of the product photoshoots.

If your products have a unique backstory, that’s also valuable to share. It helps differentiate you from your competitors. 

Customers like seeing how products are made, especially if it’s beneficial to them or the environment, such as a cruelty-free production line or Fair Labor practices for workers.

It also helps the business showcase its size and ability to manufacture the products it’s offering. This can build trust with your customers, as they’re seeing “where the magic happens.”

4. DIYs and tutorials

If your items are complex to use or can be used in creative ways, create do-it-yourself videos or project how-tos.

Look at this example from Men’s Warehouse, a suit and tie retailer, showing viewers how to tie a necktie.

This is a common task many people struggle with, so it makes sense to offer a tutorial on it. 

Similarly, if you know there’s some product feature many customers struggle with, offering a how-to can be extremely helpful.

With the right combination of keywords and helpful information, your video will also show up in the search engine results.

This not only increases the chances of getting a sale from this video, but it also shows credibility and trust in your industry, too.

5. Thought leadership

If you are in an innovative industry that lacks effective thought leaders, you can take it upon yourself to create videos that educate your customers and peers.

This could include explaining difficult concepts or talking about new industry developments. 

Take this example from the American Association of Retired Persons (AKA AARP), which sells memberships and products from third-party partners on its site.

The organization did a tutorial on bird-watching for beginners, which is of high interest to its target demographic of 50+ year-olds.

While this isn’t specifically showing customers how to use a certain product, it is showing them a skill that relates to their interests.

Your brand can also use videos to sound off on evergreen and timely topics of interest to your community.

Entrepreneurs like Tim Ferriss have successfully used videos to share insights on everything from ecommerce to productivity and more.

6. Industry interviews

One thing the AARP video also does well is including expert insight.

These types of expert interviews bring a lot of credibility to your videos. After all, it’s expert advice that might not be available elsewhere.

It’s a nice “meeting of the minds” for your community, too. Here’s a LinkedIn Live interview with Alex Lieberman of The Morning Brew and Noah Kagan of AppSumo  (warning: language).

As you grow your video following and traffic on your ecommerce site, industry experts will be more willing to talk with you to increase their own exposure and credibility.

However, you should expect to pay experts for their time, especially if it requires traveling or research and preparation on their end.

These types of interviews can also be repurposed into a podcast—there are a number of free and affordable podcast hosting options available—as well, so customers can listen on the go.

Then, write up or outsource an episode recap that can be published on your website’s blog with links to mentioned products and resources.

Where to share your ecommerce videos

Now that you’ve created great video content, you might be wondering how best to employ it in your ecommerce marketing efforts.

This can be done in a number of ways, including:

  • Newsletter: Include videos in newsletters to boost click-through rates and add interest.
  • Organic social media: From TikTok to YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram, video content can be shared on your organic social media channels to boost engagement and attract customers.
  • Homepage: Showcase best-selling products or host your explainer video to shine the spotlight on your brand by including video on your website homepage or storefront.
  • Search ads: Video is an effective medium for paid digital advertising on third-party sites, such as via Google or retargeting. These videos backlink to your product page for ease of consumer shopping.
  • Social ads: Pay for placement across social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to repurpose videos into social ads. Like other paid digital advertising, these ads can link back to your product page to make it easy for consumers to shop.
  • Product pages: Let your customers see the product in action while they peruse your product page to boost their confidence and increase conversion rates. Try placing video first and photos and text later to up video views.

Product video creation and editing tools

There’s no shortage of video creation and editing tools.

From apps like VidYard that make it easy to record videos, to iMovie for Mac users who want to edit clips, the hardest part of finding these tools is simply wading through them all.

Luckily, we’ve done the legwork for you.

Video tools

A 5-in-1 reflector is the most important item to have on a video product shoot. These nifty and inexpensive multi-tools diffuse, reflect, flag, and absorb light while also serving as a makeshift background if needed.

Use a softbox to eradicate harsh light, soften shadows, and eliminate visual distractions when photographing and recording products.

A macro lens is a must-have to get close to your product and showcase all of its details. The most popular macro lens is a 100mm f/2.8, which is perfect for shooting small objects. This one clips right onto your smartphone.

The second-most important item for shooting video? A tripod! This piece of equipment keeps your video stable and smooth. No shaky hands here.

Backgrounds can be built for next to nothing with a clean white sheet and some elbow grease to rig it up—or you can purchase product photography backdrops with stands for a small fee.

A clean and simple background allows your product to shine and removes any distractions from frame.

Finally, video editing software can help you create compelling marketing videos that look super professional. Check out our roundup of the 27 best video editing apps for your ecommerce marketing.

Elevate your brand and buyer experience with product videos

Ecommerce product videos are an excellent way to engage, educate, and retain shoppers.

When done well, video marketing can transform your entire website or product page and how consumers interact with it.

Use the tips and advice we’ve provided to test out adding videos to your strategy.

#cta-visual-pb#<cta-title>Make your store shine<cta-title>Make your store shine with great product videos and Shogun Page Builder.Start shining for free

Rachel Go

Rachel is a remote marketing manager with a background in building scalable content engines. She creates content that wins customers for B2B ecommerce companies like MyFBAPrep, Shogun, and more. In the past, she has scaled organic acquisition efforts for companies like Deliverr and Skubana.

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